1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved sheet presenter and a method of using it. The invention more particularly relates to a sheet presenter for dispensing a sheet according to a novel method.
2. Background Art
Printing apparatuses for imprinting a sheet and delivering the imprinted sheet to a user are well known. For example, kiosks and other remote unmanned stations, such as automated teller machines and fuel dispensing pumps, have utilized such printing apparatuses to record user transactions, and to provide the user with a written record or receipt for the transaction.
Generally, such printing apparatuses have included a printing unit having a paper feed path and a roll of continuous paper sheet material supplied to the printing unit through the paper feed path. The printing unit was activated to imprint a portion of the continuous paper sheet. As the printing unit imprinted the portion, the portion was continually fed along the paper feed path toward a receptacle. Upon completion of the printing job, the imprinted portion was separated from the rest of the continuous paper sheet by a cutting apparatus and deposited in the receptacle where the user could access the printed receipt. Delivery of the receipt to the receptacle was accomplished by a downwardly sloping ramp extending from the cutting apparatus to the receptacle, or by presenting rollers.
Although such printing apparatuses enabled a user to obtain a printed receipt for a transaction, such apparatuses were somewhat long to accommodate a paper feed path having a sufficient length to deliver the paper sheet from the roll to the printer unit, through the cutting apparatus and along the ramp or through the presenting rollers to the receptacle for presenting the receipt to the user. Thus, the depth of the kiosks and unmanned stations utilizing the known printing apparatuses had to be sufficient to receive the printing apparatuses therein.
Furthermore, the prior known printing apparatuses were susceptible to disruptive occurrences caused by the user grasping and pulling the receipt as it arrived in the receptacle. Upon seeing the receipt arrive in the receptacle, the user was tempted to remove the receipt before the printing job was complete, and before the imprinted receipt portion was separated from the remaining continuous paper sheet. Consequently, the kiosk or unmanned station was rendered inoperable until the disruption to the printing apparatus was returned to working order.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved sheet presenter for use with a printing apparatus to render the printing apparatus substantially compact. Such a sheet presenter should present the sheet without disrupting the operation of the printing apparatus according to a novel method.